The Imagination Blog

The show is over. It was a huge success, a fabulous collaboration that got rave reviews from all who came.  My actors surpassed my wildest wishes, in short, it was great!  The King and I has just completed a record breaking sold out run and I’m going to Disneyworld!  Well maybe not today… today I’m sleeping and eating and writing thank you notes; and missing everybody.

What do you do when a show is over?  Well if you’re like me you realize that you are suddenly faced with empty evenings and it feels very strange.  The making of a performance fills your life.  When I am directing I am either at the theatre or thinking about being at the theatre, creating lists in my head, reviewing what happened the evening before….any number of things related to the current love of my life…the show I’m working on. And then it’s over… you and your great love just broke up.  Your family moved and left no forwarding address……

Anyone who lives this will tell you that this is the actor’s life- ephemeral- which makes it all the more precious.   When a group of people come together to create a performance something magical happens for a time, but the magic has to end and we have to go on to the next show, our day job or whatever our day to day lives brings.  Luckily we go back enriched, and this is why we return again and again to create this thing we call theatre.

I warned the parents of the children in our show about this – I figured the adults already know.  I cautioned them to remember that their children will feel especially lonely for each other.  At the cast party one of our tiniest little girls demonstrated it at the end of the evening.  An older child who had often played with her came up and announced “I’m leaving now”.  Our little Katie had been dancing up and down beaming- suddenly she burst into tears.  Great sobs shook her little body and tears streamed down her face.  The masks of comedy and tragedy played out before my very eyes.  And there it was- this little girl showing all of us what we have been doing- giving our all, sharing our emotions, throwing ourselves into the mix in order to create something together that has meaning- something important that we love- and it’s over!!

Beginnings and endings (dare I quote another King) are part of the circle of life.  I’ve already started work on a fall show, getting the details in place…but I have to admit that I spend part of each day looking at King and I pictures, talking to King and I cast on Facebook and doing any number of things that allows me to gently put down the work I’ve just finished and move on.  I know that this show, like every show I’ve done, will always be a part of me.  I learned and grew doing it, made wonderful friendships, laughed and cried together with folks I really treasure.  Thank you all for supporting me, challenging me and changing me.

I close with heartfelt thanks to the incredible cast and crew of the King and I who gave up their lives for a time to become something more…

Cory

I haven’t written since June 5th?  Where has the time gone? The days are flying by filled with the thousands of decisions that go in to producing the beautiful spectacle we call a musical.

This week and the last were filled to the brim as we moved from the blocking phase of the play to cleaning up and filling in the rough spots.   We had to answer such important questions as “how will we get 36 people quickly on stage in the dark- especially when some of them are very little people?  Followed of course by the all important “how will we get said 36 people off stage in the dark?”   Our publicity team of Derek Dunham, Terry Farrell and Brian Baker had to determine “how will we get 60 people photographed in four hours?” and our fabulous stage managers Jen Feldser and Eric Mansilla dealt with the all important “how will we coordinate said 60 people to photography downstairs whilst said 60 people are also needed for rehearsal upstairs?”  Jen was heard to say that she is seriously considering getting a fireman’s pole put in!

Meanwhile set construction has been making magic constructing walls, pillars and niches to resemble soaring palace structures which our scenic artist turns into carpet, marble and mosaic through the magic of paint.

During this hectic time I was required to be out of town for three of the rehearsals- so my assistant director Megan Zimmer made the directing magic for me- working through a maze of scheduling issues and snafus (the June calendar mistakenly listed these rehearsals as ending one hour earlier than they should) to complete the polish, fill in the blanks and smooth out the problems- which she did brilliantly.  I couldn’t have left the show in better hands!

Which meant that I was treated to the delightful experience of returning on Thursday to see a show transformed from the disjointed chaos of the blocking portion of play production to the blossoming beauty of the characterization phase.  During this time a play comes together.  All of the thousands of details begin to gel- and the actors begin to practice their craft, creating the characters who will come to life on stage each night for two and one half hours to tell their story.

I am blessed with hugely talented and experienced actors and dancers, who co-create with Megan and I.  Actors filled with ideas.  Actors willing to work extra hours, stay late (can you say eleven o’clock?  sure I knew you could!) and contribute their ideas.  Actors filled with passion and skill who offer their wonderful suggestions and make our lives easier. Dancers who spend their down time rehearsing in whatever tiny space they have been allotted.  I love you guys!!!

And so … I find myself this week entranced by their work- completely drawn in to the story- laughing aloud, clapping, tearing up… wow!  Magic!